Mail-box.



No. 810,806. PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

H-. L. PIER.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAY27. 1905.

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HARVEY L. PIER, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

Application filed May 27, 1905. Serial Ila-262,616.

To all whom, it may concern.-

: Be it known that I, HARVEY L. PIER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Mail-Boxes; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in mail-boxes for use on a suitably-supported endless conveyerwire extending from the house to the point of delivery and collection on rural routes.

The object of the invention is the provision of a novel form of box in combination with a signal device of simple and efiicient character.

With this object in view the invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my box as applied to or hung from the conveyer-wire with the signal and hasp-arm in lowered position, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same with the signal and hasp-arm in raised position and the box locked.

In the drawings the letter a designates the conveyer-wir'e which carries the box 2 by means of the hangers If. These hangers are attached one at each end of the mail-box 2, which is usually made with angular or ridge top, so that it will shed water freely. The

road end of this box is formed with an offset portion 4, the lateral walls 5 of which have their upper edges inclined from the gablewall 6 of the box to the low end wall 7. Hinged to the lower portion of the gable-wall 6 is the inclined door 8, which isprovided near its lower edge with a securing-staple 9, adapted to engage an angular hasp-arm q of a drop-plate w, which is hinged under and to the bottom 10 of the mail-box. The hinged end of this drop-plate extends transversely, and the angular has -arm g extends from the middle of its free er ge, to which it is hinged. The hasp-arm is provided with an inclined upper portion a, which is slotted to engage the staple 9 of the door 8. Over the hoop portion a is secured in the staple a locking box and serves to provide a signal to the residents that there has been mail-matter placed in the box. The box having been drawn to the house by means of suitable gearing, (not shown,) the mail is removed and the letters to be mailed are placed in the box and safely secured thereby raising the dro -plate, engaging its hasp with the door an its staple, and applying and locking the padlock. The box is then moved to the road-station and remains there until the next visit of the carrier.

Having described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. A mail-box having a pendent signal device provided with a coversecuring arm adapted to engage the cover of the box when the signal is raised into concealed position, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a mail-box having a staple, and a hinged cover adapted to engage said staple when closed, of a pendent signal device provided with a hasp-arm also adapted to engage said staple when the signal is raised into concealed position, substantially as specified.

3. A mail-box having an end extension open at the top, a door for said extension hinged to the end wall of the box, and a pendent signal device hinged to the bottom of the box and having a hasparm, and cover-securing means in connection with said hasp-arm, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with a mail-box having a gable top, an end extension open at the top and having a staple, an inclined door hinged to the face Wall of said gable top, and adapted to engage said staple when closed, of a pendent signal device hinged to the bottom of the box and having a hinged hasp-arm adapted to engage said staple when the signal is raised into concealed position, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY L. PIER.

Witnesses:

JOHN T. DoLAND, C. B. TREWIN. 

